Clippers Can't Afford to Delude Themselves Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Los Angeles Clippers would be making a big mistake if they think they are good enough to contend without a move at the trade deadline.

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The Los Angeles Clippers are in a much better situation than they were earlier in the season, sitting in tenth place in the Western Conference with a 22-25 record. They look like a good bet to at least make the postseason. While that is progress in the right direction, the Clippers are nowhere near good enough to justify standing pat at the trade deadline.

When asked about the team's trade deadline plans, head coach Ty Lue said that he didn't expect much movement ahead of February 5. There will be smaller moves on the margins, like trading away Chris Paul and Kobe Brown to open up roster spots, but rumors of a significant Clippers trade have been few and far between in recent weeks.

Clippers Aren't Good Enough to Justify Standing Pat at the Trade Deadline

It is delusional if the Clippers are hesitant to make a move because they think they are good enough to make a deep playoff run in the Western Conference. Yes, the Clippers are 16-4 in their last 20 games, but they still have a negative net rating (-1.2) for the season. That is equivalent to a 38-win team. They have the 12th-best offensive rating and 23rd-best defensive rating. With James Harden and Kawhi Leonard on the court, they have a +4.1 net rating, per Cleaning the Glass. That is a decent mark, but it is nowhere near where the league's elite duos are.

The Clippers are also 8-18 against teams over .500. Taking advantage of a softer schedule and beating bad teams is important, but it's noteworthy that the Clippers are still not winning consistently against good teams. This will be a problem in the postseason.

The top brass may be hesitant to invest significant resources and give up more future draft capital. This is an understandable approach. Yet, the Clippers don't need to break the bank to find upgrades at the trade deadline. They have the expiring contracts of Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collins and a few second-round picks. Combining a few of these assets could net the Clippers a difference-maker.

The Clippers have glaring weaknesses. They don't have enough two-way players around Harden and Leonard. Finding players who can play on both ends of the floor will not be achievable with the assets the Clippers have, but they can find shooters who can space the floor for their superstars. Offense-first players who can shoot, score, and take some of the creation burden off Harden and Leonard will do wonders for this team.

The load the Clippers are putting on their aging stars is not sustainable, and if they don't add a third offensive engine to make things easier on them, they will likely regret standing pat over the next week.